While open houses seem pretty casual, savvy buyers know that checking out a home isn't just about aesthetics or a quick view. In today's hot market, you might not get another look before making an offer.

If you aren’t totally sure about how the open-house process works, you aren’t alone. Sometimes homebuyers visit an open house to window shop instead of taking full advantage of the opportunity to get important details about the home. When you visit an open house, you should have several questions prepared for the seller’s agent and you should have already conducted some research, too. You want to leave this process feeling that you have enough information to make a well-informed decision.

Here’s what you need to know about the open-house process:

Know which questions to ask.

By now, you know that an open house isn’t just a casual gathering of interested buyers, sellers and real estate agents. It is a major opportunity for you to feel out the home while also getting critical information.

You are probably still wondering what to ask at an open house. You should have several questions prepared, as the open house might be the only chance you get to ask them. If the home is a hot commodity, then other potential buyers might be looking to put in an offer soon.

1. How many offers have been made?

You should always ask the real estate agent if any offers have already been made. If there are multiple offers on the home, it could indicate that the property might sell quickly. If there aren’t any offers yet, then the opposite might be true. Real estate agents hope that multiple offers will push up the sales price of the home. Keep your budget in mind -- even if you love the home, you don’t want to get into a bidding war with other prospective buyers if the result is an unaffordable price.